


Crevices

by cypheroftyr



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Claustrophobia, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2020-08-11 10:51:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20152417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cypheroftyr/pseuds/cypheroftyr
Summary: Written a long, long time ago for Fenders Week on Tumblr. Realized I never put it here.





	Crevices

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe this is 7 years old!

Anders is claustrophobic, Fenris understands and Hawke doesn’t really care, except that he needs his healer in one piece. Can common experiences thaw some of the enmity between the mage and former slave?

Fenris couldn’t believe their bad luck, surrounded by slavers and Raiders on all sides and just a tiny cave to hide in until Varric and Sebastian had picked off enough enemies to get to open ground. His skills were useless until they could get out and the mage… the mage wasn’t in sight. Fenris looked around and he finally saw the mage huddled in a ball barely a foot away from him. He didn’t think a man as tall as Anders could make himself as small as the mage had done.

He made a move towards the mage and saw him flinch. That stopped Fenris short because the mage never had shown outright fear towards him, but he was clearly terrified. Fenris wasn’t sure what to do because there was precious little room in the cave to move, and Hawke was keeping watch for them. Fenris decided to kneel and let the mage see him coming so he wouldn’t scream or worse break his paralysis and flee into the chasm and get himself killed.

Anders didn’t acknowledge the elf’s approach other than trying to scoot back as far as the wall would allow when he saw a hand coming for him. Some small part of his brain that wasn’t locked into place told him not to scream but he was having a hard time not giving in to the terror that had gripped him. He heard the whisper of a deep voice and did his best not to flinch or unleash magic in the small space.

“Mage, what ails you? Why are you acting like you don’t know anyone?” Fenris

“Leave me alone, I swear I won’t try to escape again, please let me out of here.” Anders refused to look up at where the voice was coming from but he inched as far away from the voice as he could.

“Damn, you would have some kind of panic attack now wouldn’t you? Anders do you recognize my voice, or where you are?” Fenris tried to make his voice gentle as he could but he was sure the mage wouldn’t recognize him or anyone else while this madness gripped him.

Anders shook his head no. “You must be a new Templar, I don’t know your voice yet. I swear that I’ll behave, just let me out of here.” Anders looked up and right into Fenris’ eyes and the elf realized that Anders was not going to be himself until they were out of the cramped space. He went over to Hawke and spoke in a whisper so low the human had to strain to hear him.

“There is something wrong with the abomination. He doesn’t recognize me or where he is. Do you know what this could be?”

Hawke didn’t move a muscle except to speak. “He has a fear of enclosed spaces, has to do with his time in the Circle. I didn’t think about that before we dashed in here. He won’t be ok until we can get out. Can you sit with him? You may even need to drag him out when the way is clear.”

“I’m no nursemaid Hawke. He may very well panic and fry us all with wild magic.” Fenris started to protest but Hawke put a stop to it.

“Fenris, now isn’t the time for your anti-mage ranting. Go sit with him and when I give the word run out into the clearing. No arguments now, feel free to scream at me when we get out of this alive.”

“Very well Hawke.” Fenris turned slowly and sat next to the mage who had put his head down and seemed to be murmuring under his breath. Fenris couldn’t make out the language he was speaking in so he just sat next to him, hoping their way was clear soon. He knew the kind of fear the mage was experiencing and he didn’t like the reminder of just how bad the dark could be. He was brought out of his thoughts by Anders threading and arm through his and calling him Karl.

“You know you shouldn’t be here Karl, if they find you in my cell you’ll be sent away or worse.”

Fenris didn’t know what to do about the familiar way Anders was touching him nor did he know what to say in response to being call by the name of someone Anders clearly cared about. When Fenris didn’t answer, Anders dared a glance up at the man he thought was his lover but instead seeing the elf who detested his very existence. He pulled his arm away as if he’d been burned and turned towards the wall, blushing to the roots of his hair. “Apologies Fenris, I didn’t mean to do that to you. Can we leave yet?”

“Not yet, no need to apologize; you are not well at the moment.” Fenris wasn’t sure if the mage would be ok or if he’d be a liability until they fought their way out. Anders didn’t say anything else until they finally could get out of the cramped cave and past their enemies. He brushed himself off and followed the group back to town, and left immediately for his clinic. Everyone thought it was odd, since Anders was usually more sociable than that.

“He’ll be ok in a while, that was a bad situation back there and he had a hard time of it. I’ll see you all around.” Hawke headed back to the estate, he knew his mother was probably worried sick about him and he desperately wanted a bath.

Fenris didn’t say anything, just looked at the way the mage had gone for some time before he headed to Hightown. The companions went about their business for a while but Anders was conspicuously absent from their usual night at the Hanged Man. Even Varric noticed the man wasn’t around.

“Say Hawke, are you sure Blondie is alright? I haven’t seen him since that mission went tits up near the Bone Pit. He didn’t even say goodbye and that’s not like him at all.”

Hawke scratched his beard while he thought about it. “I guess your right Varric, I haven’t heard from him in a week either. I should probably go check on him tomorrow.”

Fenris looked up from his wine and quirked an eyebrow at Hawke. “I’ll check on him Hawke, in fact I’ll go now.”

Everyone looked at the elf in surprise, they knew that he despised the mage and if he was willing to check on him then something was likely very wrong with their friend. They all stared at Fenris waiting for him to say anything more but he just turned and left then staring at his back. He made good time to the clinic and knocked a bit too forcefully for a social call. After some time the door opened to the disheveled mage who looked like he had been asleep.

“Yes Fenris, is someone hurt?”

“Er… no. I actually came to check up on you. Varric realized it had been a week since anyone had seen you and there was concern for your well being.”

“Well you can see that I’m a bit sleep deprived but alive. Is there something else you wanted?”

“Yes, to talk about what happened in that cave, I—“  
Fenris didn’t get a chance to finish before Anders growled at him. “No, I do not wish to discuss what happened in that cave. I want to forget what happened in that cave. Was my apology not enough for you?”

Fenris looked at the mage, frankly since the first time he’d come across him and realized he understood why Anders was so defensive about his problem.

“It was more than enough Anders. I just wanted to see if you were ok, because I understand what happened to you. I’ve had similar experiences unfortunately.” Fenris looked down at his feet while he waited for the mage to shut the door in his face or let him in. Anders looked at the elf for signs of deceit or if he was just having him on. Eventually he moved back and let him in. Anders excused himself and got dressed in something a bit more appropriate for having a visitor and came back out to the meager living area where Fenris had taken a seat on the floor. He looked up at Anders with nothing but honesty in his gaze and it unnerved the mage.

“Why are you telling me about your past? I thought you didn’t want to divulge anything to me?”

Fenris tipped his head so he could look up at Anders. “Normally that would be true, but I recognized the terror of an enclosed space and the dark and considering how far gone you were I figure the truth can’t hurt in this case. I don’t usually speak of this but I want you to know I understand, at least this much.

Danarius didn’t like how wild I was or how untrainable I was at first. He finally realized the only thing that tamed me was to lock me in a room that wasn’t much bigger than the cave we were in and to leave no light for me. I was terrified of the dark, I don’t know if it was always the case or if that was after the markings but he used it as a way to control me. After hearing you speak of Templar’s I realized you’d suffered the same abuses I did. I merely wanted to let you know that I understood this about you, if nothing else.”

Anders looked at Fenris for a long time, to the point where Fenris was uncomfortable with the apostates gaze upon him. After some time Anders rose and went to his room, and returned with a bottle of Antivan brandy. He offered the elf a small glass and the bottle as he sat back down. Fenris took the bottle but didn’t open it immediately. He was confused as to why Anders would share his good drink with him. They weren’t friends, even after what Fenris had shared with him.

“Why would you share this with me? It seems you should save this for a special occasion.” Fenris offered the bottle back to Anders but he refused it.

“This is a special occasion Fenris. I can’t get too drunk any more but the fact that you of all people came to me with this and shared your past deserves to be noted. Besides, Zevran would kill me if he knew I was still holding on to that brandy.” Anders cocked a brief smile at Fenris and held his glass out for the elf to pour.

Fenris poured them each a couple of fingers of whiskey and saluted his host. “Tua potieve dore na.”

Anders finished his glass off and promptly started coughing from the burn of the liquor. “Maker that hurts. Guess that’s what happens when you slam well aged Antivan brandy. Anders poured more for Fenris but got himself water.

Fenris savored the drink, it was much finer than what he usually had and why be a bad guest when the mage was willing to part with his good drink? After another couple of drinks, Fenris got up and tried to get to the door; tried being the operative word as he careened into a wall and stayed there. Anders heard a muffled …“Malum” as Fenris tried to get out of the door that seemed to elude him.

“Not so fast Fenris. You were already full of wine before the brandy and now you can’t walk a straight line. Either you sleep here or you let me walk you back home. As a healer I can’t let you try to get home like this.”

“I’m fine mage… I can get home.”

“Fine, tell me how many fingers I’m holding up. If you are correct you can go, if not you stay here or I walk you home.”

Fenris growled at him, and clutched the doorframe as he realized why Hawke always warned him about mixing different kinds of drink. He thought he was seeing double, but the only thing he saw was the floor as he tripped over his feet and almost hit the earthen floor of the clinic.

“I guess you are staying here then, bloody elf can’t even take a cot when he’s too knackered to see straight.” Anders sighed and helped him into a cot and put a worn blanket over him before he stoppered up the brandy and crawled back into his cot. Ander arose to find Fenris still out cold asleep in the cot he’d left him in.

Anders went about his day, leaving the elf to sleep off the booze and hangover. Anders was trying to read a book when he heard Fenris roll off the cot and right onto the hard floor. Because Anders valued keeping his heart in his chest where it belonged, he didn’t say a word about how ruffled the elf was upon waking. He looked up when he heard Fenris coming toward him.

“Fasta vass, how long did I sleep?”

“It’s past midday bell, so a while. You seemed like you needed the rest. There’s elfroot tea if you have a headache. Unfortunately, no magic will cure a hangover.”

Fenris looked at the mage as if he’d never seen the man before that morning. Something between them had shifted and Fenris would be damned if he knew what it was. Instead of taking up more of Anders time he decided to head back to his home and sleep off the rest of the potent liquor.

“Thank you but no, I’m going home.”

“Very well Fenris…” Anders paused because he wasn’t sure how to even thank the elf for his gesture of friendship.

“Thank you for stopping by. The brandy will be here for you when you want it.”

Fenris nodded in thanks and then strapped his sword on and left without another word to the mage. Anders went back to reading his book, putting the strange visit from Fenris out of his mind for the time being. He had other things to do besides ponder his rival’s change in temperament towards him, but he’d take any respite he could get from their constant bickering.


End file.
